Foam control in brown stock washing



'Nov. 18, 1947. A F. w. YOUNG 2,431,009

- FOAM CONTROL IN BROWN STOCK WASHING Filed Oct. 8, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l BY f/'M/wr h4 You/v@ i ATTQRNEYS Noi?. 1s, 1947. F. w. YOUNG I 2,431,009

FOAM CONTROL IN BROWN STOCK WASHING v Fledct. 8, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. n/wr if( Yay/v6 www l Nov. 1s, 1947,

F. w. YOUNG FOAM CONTROL N BROWN STOCK WASHING Filed 001;. 8, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 18, 1947. F. w. YOUNG 2,431,009

FOAM CONTROL IN BROWN STOCK WASHING Filed oct. s, 1945 4 sheets-sheet 4 A TTORIYEYS Patented Nov. 18, 1947 FOAM CONTROL LNBROWN strooi; WASHING Frank W. Young, Medield, 1,ll/lass. Application October 8, 19/ 1-34, Se1i4a1-No.,v505,47 claims. (ol. 252-1321) l This invention relates to methods and apparatus for recovering solids from liquids in which they have been suspended, and washing the solids so recovered. More particularly, the invention relates to solids of such a chemical nature that f.

their recovery is rendered diflicult due to the production of a troublesome foam during their manufacture and handling. Heretofore, no effective method or apparatus has been suggested for controlling or disrupting the foam bubbles, saving the liquor and obtaining a comparatively dry air.

In the washing of brown stock (caustic sulphate wood pulp) in kraft mills, it is necessary at the present time, after the wood has been digested in the caustic liquid, to wash the resulting pulp free of the caustic liquor, resin and other impurities that have been disassociated vby the digesting process. `For reasons of economy, it is of advantage to recover the vmajor portion of .the caustic liquor for reuse. VThis has heretofore been done by washing the pulp in diffusers `or wash pans and has required large and expensive equipment and considerable labor because of the large quantity o f foaming liquid present. More recently, the pulp has been washed on continuous lters by countercurrent Washing using, for instance, two lters for twoY stage countercurrent washing, three filters for three stage-countercurrent Washing, and so on. The latter method 4of washing reduces labor and decreases the loss of caustic lout the handling and rehandling of the pulp and liquors in each washing stage `causes considerable and very troublesome foam. BecallSe of this foam, the pumps, tanks andother equipment in the system as a whole are Vented into a plurality 4of foam tanks or traps, many of these being needed and much space being `occupied.

One object of the present invention is to perform multi-stage countercurrent washing of brown stock on a single filter without objectionable foam.

A further object of the invention is to reduce vand maintain to a minimum the amount of foam produced in the recovery of caustic by washing. In carrying the invention into eect, it is preierred to utilize a filter such as shown in cepending application Serial No. 291,083, filed August 19, 193,9, now Patent No. 2,352,303, issued June 27, 19,44. All accessoryequipment used with the filter or series of filters is hermetically sealed, the gaseous medium removed from the filter being returned to Kthe iilter for use in cake discharge.

It is a further object of the invention to utilize 2 fluid withdrawn from the lter in the lteri-ng operation to prevent the return of foam with `the cake `discharge or blow-back air.

The invention also seeks methods and apparatus for carrying out the methods, whichare practical from `the standpoint of ease and cheapness `of installation and `practicability in use.

This application `is a continuation, in part, of my application Serial No. 350,286, filed August 3, 1940, now `'Patent No. 2,352,304, issued June 27, 1944.

These and other `objects of the invention and the means Vfor their attainment will be more Yapparent from the following detailed description taken in connectionwith theaccompanying drawings Yillustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized and in which:

Figure 1 is afsomewhat schematic View showing one form htaken by the uapparatusof this invention and yillustrating a continuous filter by Ywhich multi-stage washing in accordance with the process of this invention mayfbe performed;

Figure 2 is asimplied View showing the-structure illustrated in the upper right hand portion of Figurel .to which mechanical foam eliminating means has been added;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View showing details `of the mechanical foam eliminator of Figure 2;

Figure .4 is a `plan LView of the foam disrupting elementof Figure 3;

Figure `5 is a fragmentary View on an enlarged scale showing details of the Figure 3 construction;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing a modified form of Vfoam disrupting device;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary View looking from below'in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a .fragmentary View of the structure shown in Figure 2"illustrating the application of the tank and piping when a pulp Washer (not shown), is used and in which fluid pressure is not utiilzed for cake discharge;

`Figure 9 is a modiied form of the structure shown -in Figure '112 Figure l0 is a view showing automaticpressure .regulation to nbalance the pressure in any two 4critica-'l conduits;

Figure 11 is aidiagrammatic View showing the tanks and pipe lines when a vacuum lter pulp washer (not shown), is .used in situations where the quantity of air carried down the barometric les iS excessive and produces considerable foam; and i Figure 12 is a diagrammatic View similar to '3 that of Figure 1l but showing a single tank subdivided by partitions instead of three separate tanks.

Referring now to the drawings for a fuller understanding of the apparatus of this invention and the process by which foam is controlled: The digested or cooked pulp is blown into the blowtank i3! through the pipe marked bloW." This pulp, as blown into the blow-tank, is l to 12% consistency, too thick to pump, and contains about ten pounds of dry ber and 90 pounds of liquor. In order to make this pulp thin enough so that it can be pumped to the iilter and so that it can be handled properly on the iilter, more liquor is added through the pipe |43. This is added to the bottom cone of the blow tank and is agitated with the pulp by the agitator |33. It has been advisable to have this diluted pulp at a consistency of 2%. The stock, agitated in the bottom of the blow tank, is pumped through the line |49 by the pump |5| and enters the Iilter tank 45. This 2% pulp is still too high a consistency for proper ltration. Therefore, further dilution is effected through the pipe line |45 so that the mixture of 2% stock and liquor becomes between 9%; and one percent consistency in tank 46. To maintain uniform operation, and for ease of operation, an overflow is provided which Carries the surplus solution in tank 46 back to the blow tank through pipe line |31. This is a small quantity and therefore the low consistency of this over-iiow does not materially affect the consistency in the blow tank. In any event the consistency is still maintained.

A continuous iilter adapted to perform multistage countercurrent washing of brown stock is shown in Figure 1 as comprising the iilter drum i0 rotatably mounted on an axially extending cylindrical bearing member 41. The filter drum rotates in the filter tank 46 and the lter tank 46 is open to the atmosphere. During operation, the filtrate is removed from the interior of the iilter drum through the hollow trunnion (bearing) 41 and falls through the barometrc leg |05,

In operation, the vacuum filter drum I0 picks up the stock, withdrawing the liquid through the iilter wire, and maintaining a filter cake of stock on the outside of the drum according to the usual manner of vacuum ltration. In the upper part of the rotation, medium wash liquor as from nozzles Ss, then weak weight wash liquor as from nozzles S1, and finally hot water as from nozzle 8S, is applied in three-stage countercurrent washing. The wash liquid falling, say, from a nozzle 85 ahead of the point where the cake leaves the drum, passes through the lilter cake on that segment of the drum periphery and enters a pan 9) mounted therebeneath. An outlet pipe 92 from the pan 50 passes into and through the cylindrical bearing member 41 and from thence is conducted to pump 91. The weak wash liquor may then be pumped as by pump 91 through pipe 96 to nozzle 81 and passes through the filter cake into pan S from whence it is drawn through outlet pipe 50, and which stronger wash liquor may be pumped as by the pump IGI through pipe |03 to the shower 88. The wash liquor from spray 3S passes through the iilter cake and into the interior of the drum where it mixes with the filtrate is evacuated by bearing pipe 41 and barometric leg |55. This description is of a threestage countercurrent washing and to those versed in the art is known to be heretofore regularly accomplished by using three iilters` The Washed 4 pulp is discharged from the filter by the doctor 85.

Where a barometric leg is used, as at |65, for producing the vacuum, air drawn through the iilter medium is carried down with the liquid in the barometric leg and into the closed tank i8, where the air and liquid separate, the liquid flowing out of the closed tank 8 through the pipe |26 which traps the air under pressure in the closed seal tank ||8 and controls the volume of air according to the height of the outlet |2I.

The air is accumulated in the upper part of tank i I8 at the pressure produced therein and is allowed free flow through pipe lines |21 and |22 into the blow-back pipe 58 leading to the air box 62. Thus the volume of air and the pressure thereof produced in the closed tank H3 can be utilized in the air box 62 to discharge the filter cake.

It is proposed, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, to remove the filtered material from the surface of the filter drum by a pressure differential upon opposite faces thereof. To this end, a conduit, such as the pipe 56, adapted to conduct air or other gaseous medium under pressure from the pipe |22, is disposed within the cylindrical bearing 41 and an extremity 53 thereof terminates within the drum interior. In the illustrated embodiment, a shoe 62 receives fluid medium under pressure from this conduit 58. The outer wall of the shoe is provided with an aperture 54 of a size to register, say, with one of the passages in the drum periphery.

A vacuum pump |24 is used to exhaust the air from the lter drum and produce the vacuum, and a barometric leg |35 is used to remove the filtrate. Some foam is carried through the pipe |23 by the vacuum pump |24 and exhausted thro-ugh the pipe |26; some foam is carried down the barometric leg |05 and rises through the pipe |21. Both of these foams meet in the Y IES-42S; the high velocity of the air and foam coming down pipe |26 and entering |29 meets the slow velocity foam coming up pipe |21. This action breaks up the foam into liquid and air, the liquid returns to the tank through pipe |21. The air, free of foam, travels up through pipe |22 and enters the blow-back pipe 55, 58 and is used for discharge of the filter cake.

Passing the blow-back air through the filter wire to lift the cake oii the drum produces a slight back pressure which, in turn, is exerted in the tank H8. This back pressure tends to hold the foam in tank H8 and allows only air to rise in pipe |21. The foregoing cycle of operations is particularly effective where a small filter is used with a relatively large tank.

Where large iilters are used `in the aforesaid manners the tank is relatively small compared with the size of the filter, and there is likely to be an accumulation of foam and an increase in pressure in tank i8. In order to relieve the pressure in tank HS and prevent foam passing out through the relief |18. Figure 2, it is desirable 'to disrupt the foam into free air and liquid.

In kraft brown stock washing, two objects are paramount, one, to wash the pulp thoroughly so that the pulp discharged over the doctor 85 is clean enough to be used for making paper, and second, to retain in the system all of the chemicals for reuse. These recovered chemicals, con-- sisting primarily of caustic soda and caustic sulphate are mixed with the wood ships in the digester. After cooking or digesting the wood which forms the pulp, these chemicals are in slight soda `content.

1'theliqui'd mixed with `the pulp which =is blown into-the blow-tank. Aconvenientbut :not iabsoflutely 1 correct rrnethod L-of `measuring vthe amount of f chemicals in the f'liquid :is v@by -degrees Baume.

In the illustratedembodiment, theBaum-,of-the Y.

liquor in the blow tank is shown at This liquor, drawn vloyvaouum through the lter Wire,

-and l.delivered Ainto Athe seal :tank V|x 3, fthen -flows pulp ,orllter cake .containinglliquor at V15 VBaume .passesfunderthe s'hoWer'S containing liquorat "liquor at 15 Bauin inthe sheet and "the liquor at '15 Baume enters the flterdrum Ill .andl'passes out of 'the'barometric leg |95. The pulp sheet,

Athen containing liquor at 6 Vtio '8 Baum passes under the Ashower 87| 'where "a weaker liquor at `v2o to 3 Baum is sprayed 'on 'it and displaces the The 'filter cake or pulp sheet now containing liquor Vat 2 to 3 Baume passes under the hot lWater shower 86 where thehotwater displaces the liquor, the liquor entering the compartment `99 vpassing down the pipe z92, pump v9'1, and pipe 96 to the shower l'8"1. The clean sheet containingr Water is discharged on the doctor *35. It will be appreciatedthatinactual practice, @09% Washing .j

is not-obtained. Therefore, the sheet com-ing ofi at 85 does -not contain pure Water. I 'l'.herel isa 'This soda is lost. Some wash Water passes lcounif/e'rcurr'ent through 'the other stages'and Vthis Will reduce Athe Baume of the liquor `in the iillter tank from 115 IBaume to `about 14 Baum as it comes outof the liquor tank i353 and goes tothe evaporator. l

In the evaporator, the Water fisboiled :off lfrom this liquor fat 1'4" Baume thereby raisingiitfto,say,

When the cooked stock `is blown finto the -bloy'v tank, it comes in there atabout 15 Baurn'.

Figures 2 through l2 show various mod-ifications of the instrumentalities whereby foam may be eliminated from enteringpr'ior to the delivery of liquor to the evaporator or for recirculation Y,

in the apparatus. 'One such instrumentality, the foam eliminator, is illustratedin Figure 3 wherein the foam or bubbles rising in tank |53, Figure 2, pas out through the pipe |and into the oam eliminator |56 Where they come 'in contact lvv'ith the `slotted disc or fan l B4 rotating at high 'speed'. This fan |64 breaks 'or ldisrupts the bubbles finto small drops `of liquid, 'Which drops are thrown 'off by centrifugal fforce against the defie'ctor `plate surface |68, Figure 5, so that Ythe liquid hows-'down the side Walls of the .pipe |55 back into the tank |53. The air passes out to atmosphere `through the pipe ITE).

When the foam eliminator is used in Acfannection with a vacuumgfilter Washer, Figure i2, using air blow-back fori-cake discharge, the liquid (from the filter lil passing through the trunni'on lil is carried down the -barometric leg |05. The air containing foam is drawn from the top of the barometric leg through the pipe line |23, through :the 'vacuum regulating uvalve |12 'to Athe vacuum fpump f' |24; discharges fromfthezpump throughthe ,pipe flf26at Ihigh velocityinto-the Y 128, |29. The liquid-and foambubbles striking the opposite side of the Y |28 fall into the tank +53 "throughvthe zpipe zl14. lThe air, lfollowingithe path of "lowest fpressure, travels, ireeof iOam, up the'pi'pe |22 into '-.the conduit 56of the-'lterwhereit'is used Ifori'lthscha'rging the filter cake. This `separation `ofSfoam `and air will `take place in Y |28, l-29fpro- -vide'd the :pressurein'pipe -|"|4'is slightly less than l'the :pressure in :pipe "|26, The pressure `in'tank =|t53 `'and pipe *NT4 Cis vmaintained l'ess than the 'pressure `in line `F26 by ventingsomeairout of the top of the tank through pipe |55 4and `the I'foam eliminator |56. 'lio prevent the venting of too much air, which would resultin-the pressure in pipe |22 being ins'ucient for cake discharge and Vso that the amount of air vented will `not be in excessof that whiohcan be handledby the 4foam eliminator, a :valve |16 is placed in pipe Y|110 to control the volume :and the pressure 'and the `clean air is vented vto atmosphere through the open' end'of pipe The barometric leg l| 05iss,ealed by maintaining a constant level, |18, of` liquid in the tank |53 by action of the float |19 acting through 'linksand levers on vthe valve |80, allowing the liquor tolow out of the :pipe |8| to, as in the case of kraft black liquor, the evaporator :for re-use In the Washing-of kraftstock, the black liquor is hot, frequently about 200 F. This strong caustic liquor has been diluted with IWater in the cooking process and in the .pulp -Washing =opera tion. Such water must be evaporated from the recovered liquor before re-use. It has been 'found that, in the instant invention, `the foam eliminator |56 breaks the foam bubbles 'into small-particles of concentrated liquor and small particles of water. YThe small .particles of water at this, Aalmost boiling, temperature are turned into steam or fog so that, in this instance, the eliminator emits water vapor and air, and not dry air. Therefore, the V'foam .eliminator in this `situation has a further advantage, in that-it aids inthe concentration of the black liquor and reduces the'work of the evaporator.

When the foam eliminator is usedin connection with a Vacuum `filter Washer not using air -blowvback for cake discharge, Figure 8, the .operation iis the same as that just described except tha-tthe air traveling up pipe '|22 does not go to the filter trunnion but 'passes through a pressure regulating valve |83 and then through the pipe |84 to atmosphere,

When air bubbles and entra-ined air are carried 'down the barometric leg 'in considerable quanti- Ities', which is usually th'e situation except when the barometric leg is 'of such exceedingly large diameter that uthe velocity 'of the falling liquor is 4very slow, this large quantity 'of Jair and A,foan must be handled separately 'and preferably in fa vlmanner similar tothe exhaustion `oi vthe `air and foam from the vacuum pump. Tank |53 is then used only for 4handling the discharge from the lvacuum pui-np, lsee Figure 11, and an additional 'tank |86 Ytakes care [of lthe exhaust .from the barometr-ic leg 135. 4The air and foam are re'- moved frornthe top of tank |7236 through the pipe 18B Venterii'ig a Y |89. Here, t-h'e liquor and foam puppies, strikingthe opposite side of the Y ist 'fau into .tank est through the 'pipe iii-'2. 'The air, `following the path "of lower pressure, travels, 'free of foam, up the pipe |94 into the T iitting V| Where the fair unites With rthe air -cornng 7 through the pipe |99 from the tank |53 and is directed through the pipe |98 to the lter for use as blow-back air or the air escapes through a pressure regulating valve not shown) to atmosphere. The pressure in tank |90 is maintained slightly below the pressure in pipe |85 by venting Some air out of the top of the tank |90 through the pipe 200, a foam eliminator |55 and pipe 203. The liquor settling from the foam from pipes |14 and |92 into tanks |53 and |90, respectively, and the liquor broken down by the. foam eliminators which settles in the bottom of the tanks |53 and |99 is drained into tank |85 by the pipes 295 and 205 that are sealed below the level of the liquor 201. i

An improved method for handling the air and foam exhausted from the vacuum pump and eX- hausted from the barometric leg is shown in Figure l2. Tank |53 is divided into two parts by the partition 208 and the air and foam in the exhaust from the vacuum pump are separated by the Y |28-Y |29 in the same manner as described in connection with Figure 2 and the liquor and foam is collected in the upper part 294 of tank |53.

The foam accumulating in the bottom part 299 of the tank |53 is carried by the air from the barometric leg |05 up the pipe 2|! and into the Y 2 |3. There the liquid and foam bubbles striking the opposite side of the Y 2|3 fall into the upper part 204 of the tank |53 through the pipe 2|5. The air, following the path of lowest pressure, travels, free of foam, up the pipe 2|5, similar to the action in Y |29 and pipes |22 and |26. The air through the pipes 2|S and |22 enter the T |95 and then travel through the pipe |96 to the' blow-back discharge of the ilter or through a pressure regulating valve to atmosphere. The liquors settling from the foam from pipes 2 I5 and 2|1 and the liquors broken down by the foam eliminator coming down pipe |55 collect in the bottom of the upper part 294 of tank |53 and flow down through the pipe 2 |3 that is sealed in the bottom of tank |53 and flows out with the rest of the liquor through the valve |80 as operated by the float |19.

The foregoing operation is rather critical. If the pressure in pipe 2 I5 is greater than the pressure in pipe 2 |1, the air and foam will travel up pipe 2 1 and a separation of air and foam coming ydown pipe |25 will not take place in Y |29 and troublesome foam will be carried up pipe |22. To balance these pressures a butterfly valve 229 is placed in pipe 2|| `and a Weight 222 on lever rod 223 is automatically adjusted so that the pressure in the pipe 2|| entering the Y 2|3 equals the pressure in pipe |26 entering the Y |29 so that the liquor and foam fall into the upper part of tank |53 through pipe 2|1 and to pipe 2|5.

A modied form of the instrumentality adopted to disrupt the foam is shown in Figures 6 and '7. The foam and bubbles rising in a tank 225 enter the compartment or extension thereof 221 and come in contact with nat, fan-shaped jets 235 of steam or other fluid and are disrupted thereby. The air freed from the `foam and bubbles passes through the sprays 229 and is evacuated through the pipe 23|, the liquid Will not pass through the sprays and falls as a rain 22S into the tank 225. The sprays are produced by passing steam or other fluid through pipes 233 and fan-shaped spray producing jet nozzles 235. This type of foam eliminator when used on black liquor foam (kraft pulp process) gives results substantially equal to those obtained with the mechanical foam 8 eliminator (Figure 2) although the addition of the water condensed from the steam is detrimental to the strength of the black liquor. In respect of many foam problems, however, the addition of such water or other fluids is not harmful.

Figure 10 illustrates instrumentalities to automatically control the pressure in pipe 2| Figure 12, and equivalent conduits, so that the pressure in pipe 2 I5 equals or does not exceed that in pipe 2 l1. By moving the butteriiy valve 220 according to pressure on a diaphragm instead of setting the weight 222, a diaphragm chamber 239 is placed in the upper portion 204 of tank |53 or outside, with a pipe connected to opening 245 and tank |53. The diaphragm chamber is connected by pipe 24| to the pipe 2| above the butterily Valve 220. When the pressure in the upper part of pipe 2|| exceeds the pressure in the pipe 2|1, which is also the pressure in the upper part of tank |53, this pressure is transmitted through pipe 24| to the upper side of the diaphragm 243 and pushes the diaphragm 243 down against the pressure in the tank admitted to the under side of the diaphragm 243 through the opening 245. When the diaphragm 243 moves downwardly it carries plunger 241 downwardly, which plunger, through a link and lever system, indicated generally at 249, pushes the arm 253 to close the valve 220 until the pressure in the upper part of pipe 2|| equals the pressure in the pipe 2|1, whereupon the valve 220 is again opened by motion in the opposite direction of arm 253 when the pressure in the upper part of pipe 2| is less than the pressure in the pipe 2 |1 or in the upper part of tank |53 which pressure tends to push the diaphragm 243 up` Obviously instead of the hole 245 in the chamber 239 communicating with the interior of the tank |53, the chamber 239 may be located outside of the tank |53, with a pipe connecting the opening 245 and the inside of the tank 53.

A modification of the structure shown in Figure 12, although involving substantially the same principles of operations, is illustrated in Figure 9.

Here a pipe 2| conducting gaseous media, in* cluding bubbles and foam, from a lower portion of the tank |53, is reversely bent as at 3|3 and joins the pipe |25 conducting gaseous medium and yfoam to and through the Y |29. As before, the bubbles of foam are broken up in the Y |29 and the liquor falls into the tank |53, while the air, reversing direction, free from foam, travels at high velocity into slightly lower pressure up the pipe |22.

It will thus be seen that methods of and apparatus for the separation of air and liquid, initially combined as bubbles or foam, is provided by this invention. This foam is most pronounced in the handling of brown stock. The separation of the air and liquid may be eiected by various instrumentalities, in any of which however, the foam or bubbles are disrupted whereby the air and the fluid in which the air is entrapped are caused to separate, the being encouraged to go in one direction and the fluid, free of air, encouraged to go in a different direction.

Various modications will occur to those skilled in the art in the conguration and disposition of the instrumentalities by which the gaseous and fluid media are caused in this iield, to separate, after applicant has herein been the first to point the way and no limitation is intended by the phraseology .of the foregoing description or l- 9 lstr'ations in. the accompanying drawings exa cept as indicated. in the annexed claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of eliminating foam in conduit means which comprises conducting a stream of liquid and air upwardlyt in conduit means and directing a second stream of liquid and foam at high Velocity into intimate contact with the rstmentioned stream to disrupt the bubbles of foam into air and liquid.

2. The method of eliminating foam in conduit means which comprises conducting a stream of liquid andair upwardly in conduit means and directing a second, high velocity stream of liquid and air in the form of foam downwardly at an angle to the axis of flow of the first said stream.

3. Method of eliminating foam in conduit means which comprises impinging an ascending stream of foam with a second higher velocity stream of foam delivered downwardly at an angle to the axis of flow 0f the first stream.

' 4. Method of breaking foam in blow back lines of brown stock washers for liquid filters comprising subjecting a rising column of foam 10` to the` traversingimpinging action of a second, higher velocitycolurnn ofjfoamj 5. Method oi breaking foam in blow back lines of brown stock washers for liquid lters comprising subjectingI a risingY column of foam tothe downward angular impinging action of a second higher velocity column of foam.

FRANK W. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED rThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

